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Planning for preservation: Exploring the designation of historic districts in Monrovia, California

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Planning for preservation: Exploring the designation of historic districts in Monrovia, California

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Content PLANNING FOR PRESERVATION: EXPLORING THE DESIGNATION OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN MONROVIA, CA By Vanessa Wexler A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION August 2004 Copyright 2004 Vanessa Wexler Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1422407 Copyright 2004 by Wexler, Vanessa All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1422407 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1 1 Table of Contents List of Figures iii Abstract V Preface vi CHAPTER 1: MONROVIA AND ITS ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN CONTEXT 1 Early Development of the Land 1 Lucky Baldwin and Improvements 6 Subdivisions and Pioneers 9 The City Incorporates 16 Civic Buildings 30 Neighborhood Architecture 34 Worker Housing 35 Post World War II Housing 38 CHAPTER 2: PRESERVATION OF A SMALL TOWN 41 Benefits of Preservation Planning 41 Existing Legislation 43 Local Historic Preservation Incentives 48 Plans for the Future 54 CHAPTER 3: SHOULD MONROVIA DESIGNATE HISTORIC DISTRICTS 60 What is a Historic District? 60 Criteria for Historic Districts 61 Strategies for Establishing a District 67 Maple Avenue and King Street: Possible District? 69 The Process of Designating Local Historic Districts 75 The Next Steps: Education, Designation, CLG Status 78 BIBLIOGRAPHY 80 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. iii List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Monrovia vii Figure 2. Map of San Gabriel Valley 3 Figure 3. "The Oaks" 15 Figure 4. Bradbury Dwelling 16 Figure 5. Myrtle Avenue (1892) 18 Figure 6. Granite Bank Building 19 Figure 7. San Bernardino Hall of Records 19 Figure 8. The Anderson House 22 Figure 9. "Idlewild" 23 Figure 10. E.F. Spence Residence 24 Figure 11. Monrovia, 1887 25 Figure 12. Advertisement for the Pacific Electric Railway 27 Figure 13. Pottenger Sanatorium 29 Figure 14. Mabel Normand 30 Figure 15. Obituary 30 Figure 16. Monrovia Library 32 Figure 17. Leven Oaks 32 Figure 18. The Aztec Hotel 34 Figure 19. 235 Hillcrest 35 Figure 20. 236 Primrose 35 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. iv Figure 21. Colby Management Corporation 36 Figure 22. Builder Advertisement 37 Figure 23. 315 Palm Avenue 37 Figure 24.103 E Altern 38 Figure 25.1612 Alamitas 39 Figure 26. Lemon Avenue 51 Figure 27. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1927) 58 Figure 28. Houses along Wildrose Avenue 59 Figure 29. 517 King Street 69 Figure 30. 611 Maple Avenue 69 Figure 31. Zoning Map of Maple Ave. and King St. 70 Figure 32. Redwood Tree on King St. 72 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This thesis is an exploration of the architectural history of Monrovia in the context of early twentieth century Southern California and an examination of the city's current historic preservation practices, which influence the continued existence of such structures. The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the value and use of preservation theory in the context of a small city with modest architectural resources. The city's history is the basis for determining the significance of its built resources, thus Monrovia's past will be summarized to provide a framework to evaluate the efficacy of districts. The designation of historic districts is examined as a tool for preserving and protecting the community's historic architecture. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. VI Preface The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the value and use of preservation theory in the context of a small city with modest architectural resources. The designation of historic districts will be examined as a possible tool in preserving and protecting the community's historic architecture. A city's history is the basis for determining the significance of its built resources. The history of Monrovia and the development of its architecture reflect broader themes in the growth and development of Southern California. What makes Monrovia unique is its remarkably intact neighborhoods; the development of the city's architecture and the changing tastes of several decades is readily visible on its streets. It is the intention of this thesis to identify areas of opportunity for the city to call attention to this collection and provide assistance in strengthening protection for the city's historic resources. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vu I ' MOUNTAINS GABRIEL SAN SANTA ANITA m a g m . nma r b o u n d a r y . n i * r , ; K WJWerness / y»« Pork SUTTER i M IA F LOTOttE A \ frah ILIN I I GRETSTONEW STONE [MONWOt | P i 1 A K \BRADBW Y W s. S - 'A & R L ^ io n L # A * r— sf ^ F 4 " £ .A * V iE * * v \ ',< ? • ’ A H lL uC H tS T O o. BLVD f “ , * a-‘- ;; a ' 3 « \ 0 G E < £ CF-OAB f o i c o u m « ! s’ f O c d A N V I E W g o j |/ C IRCLE \ * B L V O WllQftOSE F O O T H I L L V -k* M onrovio E j 5 f H i g h ifji'* ' S c h o o l f I 'M * t M onrovia Hospitol A V E , WOvDACRL AW E r f c ave :n § a v e] f to M M A V E j O O R A D O l e m o n (AV E LEM 3N L E M O N ° 0 0 |8^i M O N R O V O l i v e r a v e W A L N U T AV K 8 O L IV E A V E ORANGE 2 p SB W A L N U T ^ v A V E L R K E R A V E TERESlTA C I R g £ | — CARMELITA CHESTN A V E >0 losto i H U NTIN GTO N 5 f s « * s r s f a cilaiBAt ™ !IA .|.5 T i 1 .POM ONA. • • • t'* O A O * v N OUARTCjRO lUARTE *City e rf | M O N R O V T S T A AV H U R S T V IE W VCINO EL NORTE ST sFHrve Ook NORTE N E W I N G r o ^ ^ £ > - a i 'C e m e t e r y / J " r ~ " h oVriF£i NYjTri ystarhav|n} Medical } ™- ‘ Center ^ l a /^ v O R a ? f f E i L . . . M AGNOLIA E L S U R GALEN V Q 2 iI|(VAY < A L. E tf< UNO L r m ' \ J ' itATARA •±KAw < & £ b SUR i ST A V E : i! s _ r* N °'S«J l * s GROVE A V Figure 1. M ap of M onrovia, Ca. Source: San Gabriel V alley City M ap, A G ousha Travel Publication. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1 Chapter 1: Monrovia and its Architectural Development in Context The city of Monrovia, California grew up in the Southern California real estate boom of the 1880s.1 Situated at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, east of Pasadena, Monrovia is an early well-established suburb of Los Angeles.2 The evolution of Monrovia's architecture is typical of the overall development of architecture in Southern California during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, where the early housing stock and civic buildings were crafted in a wide range of architectural styles. The city of Monrovia's historic importance is embodied in its ability to tell a story of Southern California development at the turn of the century. Early Development of the Land (1771-1872) The city of Monrovia was incorporated in 1887, but its history reaches back to the m id to late eighteenth century. In 1771 the Mission at San Gabriel was established and given jurisdiction over the entire San Gabriel Valley, 1 Monrovia Planet 14 May 1887 from T.M. Hotchkiss, comp. Selected Excerpts from The Monrovia Planet and The Monrovia Messenger 1886-1891 Vol. 1 (Monrovia: n.p., 1979) 31. Monrovia's boom also discussed in Glen Dumke, The Boom of the Eighties in Southern California (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1966). 2 Monrovia was the fourth city to incorporate in Los Angeles County. The city was incorporated in 1887. Source: Peter C. Ostrye, Monrovia Centennial Review. 1886-1986 (Monrovia: Monrovia Centennial Committee, 1986, c l985) n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 including the area where Monrovia was later founded.3 Prior to the establishment of the mission, it is believed that this area was home to two Indian tribes.4 In the early to mid nineteenth century, influential Mexicans and Anglos were involved in the sale and purchase of land in the San Gabriel Valley. One of these was an Englishman named Hugo Reid. In 1836 the Council of Los Angeles received a petition for citizenship from Reid.5 The petition read "Very Illustrious Council: I, Hugo Reid, native of Great Britain.. .represent that for two years I have resided in this territory and eight in this country, unmarried, and finding myself with the intention of settling in this city.. ,"6 After being granted citizenship, Reid married an Indian woman named Bartolomea who had grown up in the Mission San Gabriel.7 Having moved forward with settling himself in the Americas, Reid wanted to acquire a tract of land on Rancho Santa Anita in the San Gabriel Valley, a Mexican land 3 The San Gabriel Mission was established on September 8,1771 according to Rexford Newcomb, The Franciscan Mission Architecture of Alta California (New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Co., 1916) n.p. This date is also listed in Monrovia Messenger 1888 from T.M. Hotchkiss, comp. Selected Excerpts from The Monrovia Planet and The Monrovia Messenger 1886-1891 Vol. 2 (Monrovia: n.p., 1979) 214. 4 The Tongva-Gabrielino people inhabited all of the San Gabriel Valley. Source: Carey McWilliams, Southern California: An Island on the Land (Layton: Gibbs-Smith, 1973) 25 and William McCawley, The First Angelinos: The Gabrielino Indians of Los Angeles (Banning: Malki Museum Press/Ballena Press, 1996). 5 W.W. Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events in the Making of a City (Los Angeles: Title Guarantee and Trust Company, 1936) 2-3. 6 Petition to the Council of Los Angeles, 1839 as quoted in Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 2-3. Although the petition lists Reid's heritage as British, he is also often called a Scotsman. 7 Hugo Reid wrote of his wife's experiences at the Mission San Gabriel in the Los Angeles Star (1852). Bartolomea's story is one of the few testimonies recorded that shows what mission life was like from an Indian perspective. Bartolomea's story suggests that the life of Indian women living in the mission system was severe. Source: James J. Rawls and Walton Bean, California: An Interpretive History (1968; Boston: McGraw Hill, 2003) 50-51. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 grant extending from the area now known as Sierra Madre almost to present day Azusa. Most of what is now Monrovia lies within the boundaries of the Santa Anita Rancho. The other portion was within the boundaries of the adjoining Rancho Azusa de Duarte. (See Fig. 2) \v<v * s - t 3 .1 "'' “ t tft*’ 'f . t t t t f t 1 r - .'- / /'& " ' S f L P - :i! r rN i~ ~ -4__ f ■ y yX~~-X4'2J ’ f .1 -JU .. A" -fv v.,w:;.v > ' M A P SHOW ING M O N K O V I A IN RCLKT »CW TO T H l 9 a m Q m u u k l H o u i i t M m Am o t o Tu t Emux Mexican B anchoe PM M kA lO BY _ ' / -Jt I Em ilvMexican Ra n c h o s I V - ' i f 3 P A tA A A A O B Y ^ ; TutTYTLE Q uA nA K T tt^T R U M C O N P A N Y ^ ' s i3 3 » £ f H T T / x~...---------------------- ' _' — 1-- r. ' > f \ vv* . •snpvif'6 *ho 6«t*Trrf lr<;TrtioMar—. Figure 2. M ap of San Gabriel V alley, in clu d in g b ou n d aries of ranchos. Source: R obinson. The problem with Reid's request for this land was that other citizens were also eager to gain title. Although there was some competition, Reid's petition for the Rancho Santa Anita was approved on April 16th 1841 as a provisional title.8 A bout a m onth later, on M ay 10th , the G overnor issued another land grant to Andres Duarte for land east of the Rancho Santa Anita previously known as the Azusa. 8 Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 3-4. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 4 Land divisions during the Rancho Period in Southern California often gave rise to land disputes, and Rancho Santa Anita was no exception.9 A dispute soon arose regarding the boundary between the Rancho Santa Anita and the Rancho Azusa de Duarte. A man named Ygnacio Palomares mediated between the two ranch owners until a dividing line was agreed upon along what is now Norumbega Drive in Monrovia.1 0 In 1845, official title of the Santa Anita Rancho was granted to Hugo Reid. Reid sold the Rancho Santa Anita in 1847 to Henry Dalton, an Englishman who had come to California a few years earlier with the intention of becoming a ranchero .u Reid remained in the area after the sale and resided in his two-storey adobe near the Mission San Gabriel where he had been living with his wife and children.1 2 Eighteen forty-nine marked the beginning of the Gold Rush. Although the Gold Rush occurred in Northern California, Southern California was not exempt from gold fever. Miners in search of gold panned the streams of the 9 Under Mexican colonization provisions of 1824 and 1828 the maximum amount of land allotted was generously large and boundaries were informal and measured without the aid of survey equipment. This system led to frustration and confusion in later efforts to establish land titles through formal boundaries in the American court system. Source: Rawls, California: An Interpretive History 66-67. 1 0 Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 4-5. 1 1 Dalton purchased the land for $2,000 (about fifteen cents an acre). Source: Harold D. Carew, History of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valiev California: With Personal Sketches of Those Men and Women. Past and Present. Who have Builded this "Glorious Empire Within an Empire" Vol. 1 (n.p: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1930) 353-57. 1 2 Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 4-5. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 5 San Gabriel Valley, and large quantities of metals were recovered in the San Gabriel River Canyon.1 3 Miners remained in the Monrovia area until around 1870, when they moved on to Arizona, lured by the promise of greater fortunes.1 4 In addition to hum an activities, the terrain of the San Gabriel Valley was greatly altered by natural phenomena during this period. The summer of 1859 was a period of intense drought in Southern California. Epic floods followed this period of drought. The drought and floods were disastrous for livestock. A history written of the area recounts the dramatic time: The San Gabriel River became a raging torrent, much damage was done to crops, and many cattle were either drowned or killed by exposure. The worst flood season in the history of the valley was in the winter of 1861-62, when the total rainfall reached fifty inches.. .the Arroyo Seco became a mighty river, over-flowing its banks and cutting new channels as the water tore on its fury. Many cattle and horses were lost.1 5 During this period many of the ranchos were divided, and many others were lost to foreclosure. William Wolfskill, an orange grower, acquired the Azusa de Duarte Rancho through foreclosure and later also acquired the Rancho Santa Anita; thus bringing the two ranchos together and uniting the two parts of Monrovia that had previously been separated by the dividing line 1 3 Monrovia Messenger 28 March 1889 from Hotchkiss, Selected Excerpts (Vol. 2 )261. This article includes references to early yields from mining. John L. Wiley, History of Monrovia (Pasadena: Pasadena Star-News, 1927), 40 states that an estimated three million dollars was mined before 1870. 1 4 Wiley, History of Monrovia 39-40. 1 5 Carew, History of Pasadena (Vol. 1) 341. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 6 established in the 1840s. However, the ranchos did not remain under one owner for long. In 1868, William Wolfskill's son, Lewis1 6 , sold the Azusa de Duarte rancho to a New Yorker named Alexander Weill and in 1872 William Wolfskill sold the Rancho Santa Anita to Harris Newmark.1 7 Water was always a crucial resource in the development of Southern California and Monrovia's development was no exception. Before Wolfskill sold Rancho Santa Anita to Newmark, Weill and Wolfskill entered into a partnership to develop the water of the canyon for the use of both ranches and they constructed a dirt flume which carried the water from the point where the Monrovia and Sawpit canyons met, to the two ranches, dividing it equally between them.1 8 This initial irrigation system helped pave the way for agricultural uses and later townsite and land development. Lucky Baldwin and Land Improvements (1870s) In 1874 Elias "Lucky" Baldwin, visited the San Gabriel Valley to seek land. Baldwin would subsequently play a pivotal role in the development of the valley. Rancho Santa Anita impressed Baldwin and he returned in 1875 with the intention of purchasing it. Baldwin acquired the rancho along with water 1 6 Also appears in publications with the spelling "Luis." Source: Carew, History of Pasadena (Vol. 1) 357. 1 7 Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 10-11. H. Newmark and Co. purchased the land for $85,000. Source: Carew. History of Pasadena (Vol. 1) 357. 1 8 Wiley, History of Monrovia 43. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 7 rights on April 8,1875 from Harris Newmark.1 9 Baldwin was interested in horseracing and had invested $28,000 in two Kentucky thoroughbreds. From these horses he bred racehorses. Baldwin was the first in Southern California to send racehorses East to compete. He also utilized the land in other ways by keeping livestock and planting a variety of crops, including wine grapes.2 0 However, it was Baldwin's affinity for horses that shaped the architectural landscape of the area and is still evident today in the Santa Anita Racetrack of Arcadia. One of Baldwin's greatest improvements on the land was the enhancement of the irrigation system that served the two adjoining ranchos. A tile pipe flume replaced the dirt ditch from the back canyons of Monrovia. In the grand tradition of Southern California water projects, the improvement was a great undertaking. The commission to build the tile flume was given to John A. Baxter, who operated a tile factory in Duarte.2 1 The addition of water to Monrovia's townsite was a great advantage to those purchasing property. They constructed a reservoir and laid a main pipe of 22 inches from far up the canyon to the town site. Two inch iron pipes were laid out all over the town site, giving each lot its share of w ater.. .Thus a heavy burden was lifted off the shoulders of purchasers of property.. .The State Engineer says that Monrovia has one of the most complete water systems in the state.2 2 1 9 After expanding his holdings, Baldwin's land was the single largest rancho is Southern California. Source: Kevin Starr, Inventing the Dream: California Through the Progressive Era (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985) 38. 2 0 Starr, Inventing the Dream 38-39. The wine industry was California's primary agricultural enterprise before the boom of the 1880s. Source: Dumke, The Boom 12. 2 1 Wiley, History of Monrovia 44. 2 2 Monrovia Planet 14 May 1887 from Hotchkiss, Selected Excerpts (Vol. 1) 31. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 8 While men were busy laying the tile for the project there were also men in Sawpit Canyon laboring for a different purpose; they were charged with extracting building rock from the canyon and bringing it down to San Gabriel where it was subsequently shipped to Los Angeles. This local stone was also used in the construction of Monrovia's early buildings.2 3 In addition to mining activities, the land was also used in an agricultural capacity. In the early nineteenth century the warm, dry climate of the area proved to be a fertile environment for a cultural landscape of agriculture. The beginnings of Southern California's citrus culture can be traced to the Mission San Gabriel; an orange grove encompassing six-acres was planted on mission lands in 1804. In 1841, William Wolfskill used seedlings from the San Gabriel orchard to plant his own larger orchard; Wolfskill is credited with establishing citrus commercially. By the late nineteenth century, citrus was a thriving Southern California enterprise.2 4 In 1888, Monrovia had devoted 400 acres to orange groves. The local paper emphasized the area's benefits as an agricultural center: There is a charm about an orange grove that is irresistible and the location of this section is perhaps the best in all Southern California. It has the advantages of the foothill climate and the consequent freedom from frost, an abundance of water and is in every respect a most delightful place to live.2 5 2 3 Wiley, History of Monrovia 44. 2 4 Starr, Inventing the Dream 140. 2 5 Monrovia Messenger 13 Dec 1888 from Hotchkiss, Selected Excerpts (Vol. 2) 238. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Subdivisions and Pioneers (1880s) 9 In the 1870s and 1880s, California's population ballooned with a large influx of people responding to promotional literature touting its healthy dim ate and abundance of land. During the seventies and eighties the southern region first developed the publicity consciousness which has characterized it ever since and which has been largely responsible for its phenomenal growth. Neither agricultural development nor railroad competition would have attracted immigrant hordes unless the way had been paved by widespread propaganda.2 6 Physicians believed that the warm climate of Southern California could provide relief and maybe even a cure for tuberculosis, which was a severe illness during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.2 7 Tuberculosis affected both the wealthy and the poor and its cause was not fully understood until the bacterium was discovered in 1882.2 8 Tuberculosis typically attacked the lungs, eventually dissolving the lung tissue; symptoms included coughing, weight loss, and fatigue. "At the end of the nineteenth century tuberculosis accounted for a seventh of all deaths, and in the 1910s it continued to cause more deaths than any other contagious disease."2 9 2 6 Dumke, The Boom 28. 2 7 Tuberculosis is still an illness that affects people today, but not nearly to the degree that it did in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. 2 8 Until the discovery of the bacteria, it was thought that TB was hereditary. Source: Stanley Mallach and Pegi Taylor, "TB: The Return of a Dreaded Foe," Milwaukee lournal 25 Oct. 1992. 2 9 Vincent Tompkins, ed. American Decades: 1910-1919 (Detroit: Gale Research, 1996) 410. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 10 On the advice of their doctors, many moved to the sunny and dry San Gabriel Valley in the hopes of improving their health, and in turn, their quality of life. The air quality in Southern California was praised for its healing affects. One author wrote, "the purity of the air of Los Angeles is remarkable.. .the air, when inhaled, gives to the individual a stimulus and vital force which only an atmosphere so pure can ever communicate."3 0 The needs of these health-seekers became a driving force for much of the development and architecture during the later years of the nineteenth century;3 1 as the communicable nature of tuberculosis gave rise to the sanatorium, a type of institution that isolated the infected in the most comfortable way possible.3 2 By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, Monrovia, like other Southern California communities, would have its own sanatorium. The railroads used the notions of Southern California's regenerative healing powers to increase travel to the region. The Santa Fe Railroad completed its link to Los Angeles in 1886. Fierce competition between the Santa Fe Railroad and the Southern Pacific led to a rate war; "the result of this war was to precipitate such a flow of migration, such an avalanche rushing 3 0 Benjamin Cummings Truman, Semi-tropical California: Its Climate. Healthfulness. Productiveness. and Scenery (San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft, 1874) 33-34, as quoted in Dumke, The Boom 32. 3 1 Rawls, California: An Interpretive History 206. 3 2 Tompkins, American Decades 410. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 11 madly to Southern California as I believe has no parallel."3 3 In his book, Southern California: An Island on the Land, Carey McWilliams conveys the nature of the migration from the Mid West: "Learning of the great boom in Southern California, the townsite sharks of the Middle West began to descend on the region in droves."3 4 The railroads advertised Southern California tirelessly. The Southern Pacific took a very active role in advertising Southern California in an effort to sell its vast land holdings in the region.3 5 Grand hotels and sanitariums designed to appeal to tourists and those making the trip for health reasons multiplied. Promoters believed that many of these tourists and temporary residents would fall in love with the climate and elect to stay. The warm temperatures and adjacent San Gabriel Mountains made the San Gabriel Valley a very desirable destination, and hence a target of early and rapid development.3 6 Kevin Starr analyzes the role of hotels in Southern California's development: As symbolic or idealizing statements, tourist hotels upgraded the possibilities of Southern California, bringing new cultural associations to the region, showing what social patterns might be established, pointing out an aesthetic relationship to the environment.3 7 Monrovia's booster, Lucky Baldwin, was the individual most responsible for bringing this development to Monrovia, through the subdivision of his land 3 3 Local historian quoted in McWilliams, Southern California 118. 3 4 McWilliams, Southern California 118. 3 5 Rawls, California: An Interpretive History 207. 3 6 Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia's Heritage: A Survey of Early Homes in the City of Monrovia California Vol. 2 (Monrovia: Monrovia Historical Society, 1980) n.p. 3 7 Starr, Inventing the Dream 49. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 12 holdings. In 1883 Lucky Baldwin saw that there was money to be made in subdividing and selling some of the Rancho Santa Anita. He started w ith the area east of Santa Anita Avenue and north and south of White Oak Avenue, now known as Foothill Boulevard.3 8 In 1884, William M. Monroe purchased eight of Baldwin's thirty-acre tracts with the intention of settling down in the land which "gave its promise of a luxuriant vegetation, the wealth of waters going to waste, all bore evidence of the rare possibility of the location for a delightful home."3 9 Monroe had come to Southern California in 1875, initially making his home in Los Angeles. Although he spent most of his time traveling for his business of railroad construction,4 0 he nonetheless managed to serve on the Los Angeles city council in 1880 and 1881. The nature of Monroe's work kept him from home most of the time and it began to wear on his family. Mr. Monroe and his wife yearned for a more stable home life4 1 In 1884 he traveled to the San Gabriel Valley to the clubhouse of Lucky Baldwin, who was enticing home seekers to his recent subdivision. At this time, Monrovia was still largely uncultivated. A barley field was located south of what is 3 8 Robinson, Monrovia: A Calendar of Events 11. 3 9 Wiley, History of Monrovia 43. Although Monroe is called the "Father of Monrovia," he was not the first settler in th e area. It is believed th a t th e first fam ily to live in the M onrovia b o u n d aries w as th e Beall family. Mr. Beall reportedly had a bee ranch in Cloverleaf Canyon, north of the Rancho Santa Anita. Source: Charles F. Davis, ed. Monrovia-Duarte Community Book (Monrovia: Arthur W. Cawston, 1957) 15. 4 0 Monroe was the Southern Pacific Railroad's superintendent of construction for a period of twelve years, where he was responsible for building a large portion of the railroad from Oakland eastward and later constructing the rail down into Mexico for Collis P. Huntington, who was a personal friend of Monroe's. Source: Carew, History of Pasadena (Vol. 2) 40-41. 4 1 Biographical information on William Monroe is provided in Wiley's History of Monrovia and Carew's History of Pasadena. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 13 now Orange Avenue, while to the north was a woodland forest of oaks and sumac.4 2 William M. Monroe became one of the first settlers of Monrovia, which was later named after him. In May of 1884 he arrived with his family and proceeded to clear the area of brush and boulders, while leaving the oaks. To accomplish the task he shipped a number of mules from his railroad camp and brought twenty white men and sixty Chinese men from Los Angeles. He constructed a camp for his workers near the site that later became Pottenger Sanatorium (1903).4 3 After clearing the land, the construction of prominent residences for the city's first settlers was a top priority. Frank Taylor, in his book entitled Land of Homes, discusses the importance of home building in Southern California. Southern California, including the smaller cities that are satellites of Los Angeles, undoubtedly typifies California, the land of homes, more nearly than any other section of this empire within a state. Homes have been incidental to other activities in other parts of California, as a rule. Not so in Southern California.. .the building of homes has been the first order of the day.. .citizens could find sufficient land so that every family could have not only its house, but also its gardens.4 4 One of Monroe's first endeavors as a Monrovia resident was to erect a small cottage at 225 Oak Avenue near the crossing of Primrose and Oak for use as 4 2 Wiley, History of Monrovia 42-43. 4 3 Wiley, History of Monrovia 44-46. 4 4 Frank J. Taylor, Land of Homes (San Frandsco and Los Angeles: Powell Publishing Company, 1929) 12-13. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 14 a temporary home until the proper home he envisioned for his family could be completed. Once the main house, which he and his wife called "The Oaks," was built, Monroe's brother, C.O. Monroe, occupied the cottage at the rear of the property for many years. The cottage also served as Monrovia's first school.4 5 "The Oaks" was finished in 1885. Solon I. Haas, who was later commissioned to design Los Angeles City Hall (1888),4 6 was both architect and builder. The house was constructed entirely of redwood in the popular Queen Anne style with Eastlake ornamentation, including the requisite wooden spindlework. Other details of the house included a rectangular tower projecting from the corner, a steeply peaked and gabled roof, exposed bracketry along the decorated cornice, and an impressive park and orchard surrounding the house's asymmetrical footprint.4 7 (See Fig. 3) 4 5 In order to form a school district the law required that there be at least fifteen school-aged children living in the district. Mr. Monroe and his wife Myrtle had four children and his brother had three children. They were able to find five children from a couple of families to the south and Lucky Baldwin "loaned" them the three children needed to complete the district. Source: Wiley, History of Monrovia 44-46. 4 6 Haas designed Los Angeles City Hall in 1888 along with E.L. Caukin. Source: David Gebhard and Harriette Von Breton, Architecture in California: 1868-1968 (Santa Barbara: The Regents, University of California, 1968) 11. 4 7 Charlotte A. Schamadan, ed. Monrovia's Heritage: An Architectural Perspective (Monrovia: Monrovia Old House Preservation Group, 1996) 42. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 15 Figure 3. "The Oaks." Source Author, 2004. Although "The Oaks" was elaborately decorated on the exterior and interior, it is somewhat subdued compared to homes of the period built closer to Los Angeles. For example, the L.L. Bradbury dwelling in Los Angeles (1887) designed by Samuel and J. Cather Newsom, exhibits a more ornate sensibility. (See Fig. 4) The Newsom brothers designed several homes in Monrovia in the 1880s. However, their designs for the area embraced a certain simplicity, possibly in response to the frontier-like atmosphere of the new city. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 16 Figure 4. Bradbury Dwelling, Los Angeles (1887). Source: Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Redwood was the prominent choice of material for much construction of the period. Although wood has intrinsic qualities that make it an excellent choice of building material for earthquake prone California, at the time it appealed chiefly because it was inexpensive and available.4 8 The primary building materials in early Monrovia architecture were redwood and local granite, quarried from the canyons. The availability and choice of these materials greatly influenced the city's built environment. The City Incorporates (1886-1887) In 1885, a group of prominent Los Angeles citizens, including former Los Angeles Mayor E.F. Spence, purchased some land from Lucky Baldwin. A year later, E.F. Spence, John D. Bicknell, and James Crank decided, along 4 8 Harold Kirker, Old Forms on a N ew Land: California Architecture in Perspective (Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1991) 45-46. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 17 with Mr. Monroe, to found a town. Two engineers laid out sixty acres with the center at Orange and Myrtle Avenues. The boundaries of the original town were Magnolia Avenue on the west, Canyon Avenue on the east, just south of W alnut as the northern boundary, and just north of Lime as the southern boundary.4 9 “The new townsite was placed upon the market for sale on the 17th day of May, 1886, which is the day that has been celebrated yearly since then as Monrovia Day."5 0 The first lot sold was at the northwest comer of Myrtle and Orange Avenue. "Many lots were sold on this day and Monrovia started on a tremendous boom which was but a part of the frenzied speculation in Southern California which centered in Los Angeles."5 1 The city's founders secured interest in the purchase of lots by spearheading an aggressive advertising campaign, piping free water to the alleys, and pricing the lots somewhat lower than the surrounding areas.5 2 Monrovia was popular with investors because Monroe, a prominent figure, had chosen the area as his home.5 3 Glen Dumke, in The Boom of the Eighties in Southern California, writes that Monrovia was "perhaps the most successful small boom town of the San Gabriel Valley."5 4 4 9 Wiley, History of Monrovia 47. 5 0 Wiley, History of Monrovia 47. 5 1 Wiley, History of Monrovia 47. 5 2 Monroe sold his lots at a lower price than adjacent subdividers, with the stipulation that the land would be improved. Source: Dumke, The Boom 80. 5 3 Dumke, The Boom 79-80. 5 4 Dumke, The Boom 79. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 18 Figure 5. Myrtle Ave. (1892). Monrovia Day Celebration. Source: Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. Initial steps were taken to incorporate Monrovia in November of 1887 when a petition was filed with Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County.5 5 "On December 15,1887, Monrovia became the fourth city to incorporate in Los Angeles County, after the cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Santa Monica."5 6 Institutional and commercial building in Monrovia began to increase as the fledgling town gained in population. The Granite Bank Building (1887), at the corner of Myrtle and Palm is one example of these building efforts. (See Fig. 6) 5 5 Wiley, History of Monrovia 63. 5 6 Ostrye, Monrovia Centennial n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 19 Figure 6. Granite Bank Building, Monrovia (1887). Source: Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. Figure 7. San Bernardino Flail of Records (1889). Source: Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. The building was constructed from local granite for Monrovia's first banking company, whose list of stockholders included prominent men such as E.F. Spence, former mayor of Los Angeles5 7 ; J.D. Bicknell; J.M. Studebaker; J.I. Case; B.S. Hayes and W.M. Monroe, an initial settler of Monrovia. The 5 7 E.F. Spence served on Los Angeles' City Countil from 11 Dec 1880 through 10 Dec 1881 and served as Los Angeles' Mayor from 9 Dec 1884 through 14 Dec 1886. Source: Los Angeles Public Library Municipal Reference Library Record, City Hall. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 20 Romanesque Revival building, when complete, measured 53 by 60 feet with the upstairs spaces used as offices.5 8 By 1905 the building was used as the City Hall. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1952 due to safety concerns; one stone remains from the building to m ark its original location. The San Bernardino Hall of Records, completed two years later, has similar elements to Monrovia's Granite Bank Building. (See Fig. 7) J. Cather Newsom, who was responsible for several residences in Monrovia at the time the Granite Bank Building was under construction, designed the San Bernardino Hall of Records. Considering the similarities between the two buildings, it is possible that it is one of their designs, although the Granite Bank Building is not attributed to them. The Romanesque Revival style, used for the Granite Bank Building, was popular in the United States in the later part of the nineteenth century. Henry Hobson Richardson is the architect who "domesticated the Romanesque style and brought it into the American vocabulary."5 9 Employed primarily for public buildings, "many of the recently established towns in the prairie and intermountain West turned to Richardsonian Romanesque for their first substantial structures."6 0 The bold massing and 5 8 Monrovia Planet 30 April 1887 from Hotchkiss, Selected Excerpts (Vol. 1) 34. 5 9 James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell, House Styles in America: The Old-House lournal Guide to the Architecture of American Homes (New York: Penguin Studios, 1999) 119. 6 0 Mark Gelernter, A History of American Architecture: Buildings in their Cultural and Technological Context (Hanover and London: University Press of N ew England, 1999) 185. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 21 solid appearance of rustic masonry construction made the style an appropriate choice for buildings that were designed to convey power and stability to the public. According to architectural historian David Gebhard, a large number of Richardsonian Romanesque buildings were constructed in Southern California between 1872 and 1892. Some examples from this period are Los Angeles City Hall (1888), designed by E.L. Caukin and S.I. Haas; Los Angeles County Courthouse (1886-1891), designed by Curlett, Eisen, Cuthbertson; and the San Bernardino Hall of Records (1889), designed by J. Cather Newsom.6 1 Richardsonian Romanesque's distinct architectural features include bold massing, heavily rusticated walls made of stone, prominent arches, and gabled roofs. These elements can be seen in both examples previously pictured.6 2 The residential architecture of Monrovia during this early phase was characteristic of tastes and style of the Victorian era. Eastern transplants brought Victorian high-style to the small town in the construction of a few impressive examples, while others built small cottages fashioned with Victorian era ornament, but lacking in the impressive massing and detail of 6 1 Gebhard, Architecture in California 11. San Bernardino Hall of Records information obtained through Gebhard's book. Source: David Gebhard, Hariette Von Breton, and Robert Winter, Samuel and Toseph Cather Newsom: Victorian Architectural Imagery in California 1878-1908 (Santa Barbara: University of California, 1979) 85. 6 2 Gelernter, A History of American Architecture 185. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 22 their larger counterparts. Some particular examples of this can still be seen in Monrovia today. Small, modest cottages around 1,000 square feet were common in the years surrounding the initial settlement of Monrovia. The George H. Anderson house at 215 East Lime is an example of this type. (See Fig. 8) Figure 8. The Anderson House (1886) as it appears today. Source: Author, 2004. John C. Anderson built the house for his son, George, in 1886.6 3 The house (still extant) is Queen Anne in overall style, but features Eastlake detailing. The house has a hipped roof; asymmetrical floor plan; and decorative wood spindlework, made possible by the recent invention of the turning lathe that allowed for ornament to be produced economically.6 4 6 3 Schamadan, Monrovia's Heritage 28. 6 4 Massey, House Styles 131. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 23 Figure 9. "Idlewild" (1887). Source: Author, 2004. In 1887 "Idlewild" located at 255 North Mayflower Avenue was constructed for General Pile. (See Fig.9) The initial planning for "Idlewild" was reported in the Monrovia Planet, a local paper. "Architect Newsome of San Francisco was in town yesterday to settle plans and specifications for elegant residences for which ground will soon be broken for Mayor Spence of Los Angeles and General Pile of Monrovia."6 5 The homes designed by the Newsom Brothers were considered the grand residences of early Monrovia and were constructed for prominent city leaders. Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom were prolific architects who designed in styles ranging from Eastlake and Queen Anne to Richardsonian 6 5 Monrovia Planet 18 December 1886 from Hotchkiss. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 24 Romanesque. J. Cather established a branch office of the brothers' architectural firm in Los Angeles in 1886, to take advantage of the Southern California boom.6 6 The brothers designed many Southern California buildings and are credited with several large Monrovia residences in 1887- 88. There is even some speculation that J. Cather Newsom may have been involved in the early planning efforts of Southern California boom towns, including Monrovia.6 7 In addition to General Pile's residence, "Idlewild," the Newsom brothers also designed the residence of E.F. Spence, Los Angeles' former Mayor and a prominent Monrovia citizen. Spence's house, at 339 Prospect Avenue was an interesting mix of Queen Anne and Romanesque; the large wrap-around porch with arched openings was a prominent feature of the design.6 8 (See Fig-10) Figure 10. E.F. Spence Residence (1887). Demolished in 1920. Source: Lost Gems of Monrovia. 6 6 Gebhard, Samuel and Toseph Cather Newsom 16. 6 7 Gebhard, Samuel and Toseph Cather Newsom 29-30. 6 8 Pam Barkas, The Lost Gems of Monrovia (Monrovia Old House Preservation Group, 2002) n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 25 In 1887 the dty continued to grow and establish its own institutions. (See Fig. 11) Monrovia's Grand View Hotel was opened in 1886 and received a warm reception.6 9 In January of 1887, the local paper reported "there never has been a time in the short history of Monrovia when so many buildings were being erected as at present. The contractors are fairly driven with work."7 0 Figure 11. Monrovia, 1887. Source: Monrovia Historical Society. H ow ever, in the beginning of 1888 the bottom fell out of the real estate market and Monrovia, along with all of Southern California suffered. But, even in this year of financial depression people nonetheless slowly filtered 6 9 Dumke, The Boom 80. 7 0 Monrovia Planet 22 January 1887 from Hotchkiss. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 26 into Monrovia.7 1 Monrovia spent the last decade of the nineteenth century recovering from economic depression, but the turn of the century marked the beginning of better times, as new residents triggered a second building boom. In 1903 Monrovia's growth was aided by the Pacific Electric Railway's decision to provide regular service from Los Angeles to Monrovia and other nearby cities.7 2 Monrovia's population in 1900 was approximately 1500 people; this increased to 3500 in 1910 and 5480 in 1920.7 3 There are many surviving buildings from this period. The increase in housing can be seen in a comparison of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1907 and 1927. Monrovia's streetcar system was already developed in the 1880s, and now more infrastructure began to appear, followed by electrical service by the end of the nineteenth century, and in the early twentieth century plans for telephone service and gas distribution were approved. Additional improvements were made to the existing water system; A.B. Chapman secured Chapman Wells, providing the city with an abundance of water to serve its growing population.7 4 Along with additions to the infrastructure, 7 1 Wiley, History of Monrovia 70-71. Dumke presents an alternate view of the situation in Monrovia in 1888. Dumke writes that the boom continued in the early months of 1888 and that Monrovia was still an enterprising and highly successful town. Source: Dumke, The Boom 81. 7 2 Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia's Heritage (Vol. 2) n.p. 7 3 Census Records and Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia's Heritage (Vol. 21 n.p. 7 4 Monrovia Historical Society, Monrovia's Heritage (Vol. 21 n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 27 Monrovia further developed its important civic institutions and tourism destinations. "The Poppy Car," a specific route on the Pacific Electric Railway was started in 1905. It stopped at each station for an hour, allowing passengers to explore the different neighborhoods. In Monrovia private cars and buses were waiting to take the visitors on tours of the Valley. "The Poppy Car" was extremely popular and further secured Monrovia as a tourist destination.7 5 Figure 12. Advertisement for the Pacific Electric Railway (1925) Source: Monrovia Daily News 17 March 1925. 7 5 Wiley, History of Monrovia 96-97. L ir .e i Romance and - R m o a n c e h a . « w r a > » c h » l 'j p H F . FacfV » [ V tfr.rtia a t iH h t-) liiin w :! Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 28 Last, but certainly not least, the city acknowledged its role as a health destination when Francis Marion Pottenger, M.D., established Pottenger Sanatorium in Monrovia in 1903. Pottenger was passionate about treating individuals afflicted with tuberculosis7 6 and felt it was necessary to provide an environment that was "isolated, protected, and controlled as to living conditions and activity."7 7 He chose eight and one-half acres at the base of the mountains as the site of the sanatorium7 8 for various reasons; the land was inexpensive and Monrovia had a larger proportion of tubercular patients than other towns of its size, possible due to its location and climate. Pottenger met with some resistance; when word got out of his plans it produced "an epidemic fear of tuberculosis," but the doctor was able to allay the community's concerns and the project proceeded.7 9 The building was completed in August of 1903 and is credited with the title of "first modern sanitarium in southern California."8 0 (See Fig. 13) 7 6 Pottenger came to Southern California in 1895 for his wife's failing health. It is quite possible that her death is what directed his energies to treating tubercular patients and establishing the Pottenger Sanatorium. Source: John E. Baur, The Health Seekers of Southern California. 1870-1900 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1959) 60. 7 7 Francis Pottenger, The Fight Against Tuberculosis: An Autobiography (New York: Henry Schuman, 1952) 123. 7 8 The word "sanatorium" is reserved for institutions that treated tuberculosis exclusively and is appropriate for Pottenger Sanatorium. The word "sanitarium" is used for institutions that treated tuberculosis and other illnesses; Baur makes this distinction in the preface to his book, although the health-seekers of the time often used the terms interchangeably. Source: Baur, The Health Seekers xii. 7 9 Pottenger, The Fight 123-24. 8 0 Dates of construction obtained from Pottenger, The Fight 125. Firstness of sanatorium assertion obtained from Baur, The Health Seekers 60. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 29 Figure 13. Pottenger Sanatorium (1903). This photograph taken circa 1920. Source: Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. The sanatorium was built with rooms along one side of the hall and large bay windows in every room to take advantage of the fresh air.8 1 The hospital was able to accommodate eleven patients until it was expanded ca. 1905; the new wing added sixteen rooms. A total of sixty-seven patients were cared for that year.8 2 All told Pottenger Sanatorium treated approximately 12,000 patients, including the famous silent film star, Mabel Normand. In his autobiography, Pottenger wrote about Mabel's stay at the hospital: 8 1 In his autobiography, Pottenger quotes his architect's opinion of the design: "It will look like hell and the cost per room will be almost doubled, but if it suits you, I'll do the best I can." Source: Pottenger, The Fight 125. 8 2 Pottenger, The Fight 125. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 30 Mabel Normand was a poor girl who rose rapidly to stardom in the motion-picture world and gave delight to millions. Money came easily and went quickly with those early stars-and often health went with it. She was uncommonly generous; kind and just towards others. Unfortunately when she entered the sanatorium her disease was far advanced. In spite of a courageous fight, she died.8 3 MABEL NORMAND, FILM STAR, DEAD Th« CoitiedtaHift Sm o jr &s to Tuberculosis In Calllerma Sanitarium, CONSCIOUS TO THE U ST Figure 14 and 15. Left: Mabel Normand in "Mickey." Right: Obituary in New York Times 23 Feb 1930. Civic Buildings As the city grew, demand for civic buildings to house community institutions increased. Efforts to secure a library for M onrovia w ere begun in 1889 when the local paper urged citizens to ponder a possible course of 8 3 Pottenger, The Fight 133. Mabel died on Feb. 23,1930. Source: " Mabel Normand, Film Star, Dead," New York Times 23 Feb 1930. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 31 action.8 4 Plans for a community library were approved in 1905 and in that same year City Hall took up residence in the Granite Building. The site set aside for the library occupied a whole block, from Myrtle and Primrose Avenues to Palm and Lime. The plan called for a library and park surrounding the building. Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy philanthropist, offered $10,000 for the building of the library and the town was ecstatic.8 5 Carnegie libraries were public libraries built with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie or the Carnegie Foundation. The program ran from 1886 through 1917. Funds were provided with the stipulation that the community provide land and tax support for buying books and administration of the institution.8 6 Monrovia's Carnegie library, like many of its type, was built in a Classical style with Ionic columns. The sophisticated architectural style augmented the eclectic mix of Monrovia's dvic buildings; while some buildings were fashioned with rusticated stone, the library was of dressed stone and brick that had a smooth and elegant appearance.8 7 (See Fig. 16) Upon the library's opening in 1908, it was said that the Classical architecture of the building 8 4 Monrovia Messenger 14 March 1889 from Hotchkiss. 8 5 The actual cost of building the library was $11,000, as reported by the Monrovia News 1 Feb. 1908. Source: "Public Library," Monrovia N ew s 1 Feb. 1908. 8 6 Abigail A. Van Slyck, "Carnegie Library Architecture," (carnegie_libraries.org). Slyck is also author of the book, Free to All: Carnegie Libraries and American Culture. 1860-1920 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). 8 7 Wiley, History of Monrovia 98-99. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 32 added "an air of distinction and refinement to the rapidly developing square."8 8 In 1911 both a new bank building for the American National Bank of Monrovia and the Leven Oaks Hotel opened their doors. The bank building was situated on the northwest corner of Myrtle and Colorado and Leven Oaks occupied a space on Myrtle across from the library. Figure 17. Leven Oaks. Source Author, 2004. Figure 16. Monrovia Library. Demolished. Source: Picturesque Monrovia. The Leven Oaks Hotel is in the Mission Revival style. (See Fig. 17) This style was popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Its identifying features included a dormer or roof parapet in a mission-inspired 8 8 "Public Library," Monrovia N ew s 1 Feb. 1908. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 33 shape, tile roof covering, overhanging eaves, porch roofs supported by square piers, and a smooth stucco wall surface.8 9 Although Monrovia has some prominent Mission Revival buildings, the style was implemented with more fervor in surrounding communities, such as Sierra Madre, Alhambra, and Altadena.9 0 "During the first quarter of the twentieth century.. .the balance of power in California visibly shifted to the southland."9 1 Previously, the San Francisco Bay Area was considered California's main influence on culture, politics, finance, and population for the state. Architecture followed suit and Southern California experimented with its architectural identity. This experimentation can be seen in the eclectic range of styles found from the second decade of the twentieth century onwards, as architects sought a style that would capture the region's identity.9 2 In Monrovia, this essence of experimentation is captured in The Aztec Hotel (1925) by architect Robert Stacy-Judd. Unendingly curious, self-promoting, and theatrical, Robert Stacy-Judd was a unique character. His architectural work reflected imagination, creativity, and a sense of the fantastic. Stacy- Judd's Aztec Hotel is considered his most famous work; it fittingly 8 9 Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000) 409. 9 0 Karen J. Weitze, California's Mission Revival (Los Angeles: Hennessey & Ingalls, Inc., 1984) 82. 9 1 Harold Kirker, Old Forms 67. 9 2 Regionalism is discussed in Gebhard's book, The Elusive Image: Regionalism and Twentieth Century Architecture (New Zealand: University of Canterbury, 1993). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 34 represents the Mayan Revival style, which Stacy-Judd would tirelessly promote as a possible solution to finding an "All-American" architecture.9 3 A Z TEC M O T E L . M O N R O V IA , C A L IF . Figure 18. The Aztec Hotel. Source: Postcard from Kathie Reese's personal collection. Neighborhood Architecture With its civic buildings designed in a wide range of architectural styles, the housing stock of Monrovia diversified in architectural character as well. Monrovia's early history was accompanied by Victorian era architecture of complex fretwork and ornament. The turn of the century brought Arts & Crafts ideology to Southern California and various incarnations of Craftsman 9 3 David Gebhard has written a book about Robert Stacy-Judd, detailing the architect's career and his buildings. Source: David Gebhard, Robert Stacv-ludd: Maya Architecture The Creation of a N ew Style (Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1993). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 35 styling appeared, some in the grand tradition of the Gamble House and others as modest bungalows. With the 1920s came an era of Revival styles. Monrovia's streets are lined with houses in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, and other styles. (See Fig. 19,20) The characteristics of Tudor Revival houses exhibited steeply pitched roofs, side gables, sometimes decorative half-timbering, massive chimneys, and tall narrow windows. Characteristics of the American Colonial Revival examples included Gambrel roofs (as seen in Fig. 20), symmetrical massing and fenestration and Classical porch details.9 4 Figure 19. 235 Hillcrest. Tudor Figure 20. 236 Primrose. Colonial Revival House. Source: Vanessa Revival House. Source: Vanessa Wexler, 2004. Wexler, 2004. Worker Housing (1920s) In 1925 the C olby M anagem ent Corporation built a housing tract to surround their new manufacturing facilities located at the intersection of California Avenue and Duarte Road. (See Fig. 21) 9 4 McAlester, A Field Guide 320-326 and 355-359. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 36 Figure 21. Colby Management Corporation. Source: McDougall Studio. Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. The housing was designed to house the workforce for the factory. The subdivision, referred to as the Colby Plot, was divided into two units, the first built between California and Myrtle Avenues and the second between Los Angeles and Evergreen Avenues. The type of housing built was simple and functional. The style of the houses incorporated elements from various styles of the period. Characteristics included a symmetrical facade, hipped roof, and cement driveway and walkway. The interior included five rooms with oak floors in the main rooms, linoleum in the kitchen and porch, and magnasite composition for the bathroom flooring.9 5 (See Fig. 22) 9 5 Monrovia Daily N ew s 18 March 1925. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 37 Houses of this type can still be found intact, and offer an opportunity to preserve a record of Monrovia's citizens who lived on modest means. (See Fig. 23) u- • 8 ‘" *,u i t * > i^ n n ^ n f f o f r j m u b u i l d f U f n o s fin e 5-TtOOMHOMT —COMPLETE— W ITH garage, cement driro u d walk. All ready vTm W toto. for onty$256fr«>. Oafcfioora “ Uoajhoat. Linoleum in kitchen and on pordh. Dramboard. lidei of tab* and bath roam floor m 1 WapiinUo-enmpoiUinn Shadoo. flx ta re a a a d VIa-hea t - . in all rosma. Ironing .board, hot water boater,laundry tray, water meter. H i ouuide atuda. '“AJHuSber and fixture! goarantced firrt. grade. If yon hive a clear lot Imay help yon finance. T ir fo u PianTir- Buitti~Gtve~M? A H — Op;ortunity to Figure On. Your U'ork. Plans and Estimates Fur- nisffed Free* -- '' V l b l H 'U BUILDIHO CONTRACTOR 725.Hor.nUin Viow Ave. * Pboue: Blue 586 Figure 22. Builder advertisement, 1925. Source: Monrovia Daily News. Figure 23. 315 Palm Avenue. Source: Author, 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 38 Post World War II Housing Monrovia, like many Southern California cities, experienced a housing shortage when returning World War II veterans settled in California because they had gone through training here and had enjoyed what the state had to offer. "Hundreds of thousands of California veterans and those who had chosen to become Californians were flooding back into the Golden State, anxious to restart, repossess, reinvigorate, or, if need be, reinvent their lives."9 6 Homes were built in the 1940s and 50s to accommodate the demand. Monrovia's homes of this period are spread throughout the neighborhoods, with larger concentrations on the south and west sides of the city. Figure 24.103 E Altern St. in the Minimal Traditional style (1948). Source: Realtor.com, 2004. 9 6 Kevin Starr, Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace 1940-1950 (Oxford and N ew York: Oxford University Press, 2002) 185. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 39 The two predominant styles found in Monrovia from this period are Minimal Traditional and Ranch. The characteristics of the Minimal Traditional style are a dominant front or side gable, large chimney, and a moderately pitched roof. (See Fig. 24) The Ranch style's characteristics are a very low-pitched roof, sometimes decorative elements such as shutters, and a low profile character that connects the house to the site.9 7 (See Fig. 25) In addition to residential buildings, Monrovia also has significant civic buildings that were built during this period. For instance: the City Hall, which was completed in 1954, is an excellent example of style for that period. Figure 25.1612 Alamitas in the Ranch style (1951). Source: Realtor.com, 2004. 9 7 McAlester, A Field Guide 477. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 40 There is a growing movement to recognize the historic significance of buildings built during the Modern era. Organizations like the Los Angeles Conservancy's Modern Committee and Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the M odem Movement (DOCOMOMO) have formed to increase awareness of the value of these resources.9 8 9 8 DOCOMOMO "is dedicated to the study of significant works of Modern Movement architecture, landscape design and urban planning around the world." Source: http: / / www.docom om o- us.org / about.shtml. Accessed 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 41 Chapter 2: Preservation of a Small Town Benefits of Preservation Planning Local preservation planning is recognized by the National Park Service as a very effective way to preserve architectural heritage. It has been said that: The collective integrity of individual buildings imparts a distinct local identity, especially if they are complemented by street trees and landscaping, intact sidewalks, and flexible zoning that respects the historic geometry and function of existing neighborhoods...Historic district preservation usually occurs locally, beyond the scope of state and federal legislation." Planning that incorporates preservation not only recognizes community-held values related to architectural character, but also helps realize city visions for economic vitality. Preservation planning is especially important in a city that places a high value on its historic neighborhoods. The citizens of Monrovia are very involved in planning activities that affect the city. In a recent phone survey, 97% of respondents thought it was important to preserve the character of existing neighborhoods and 92% said it was important to manage growth and development in the city.1 0 0 The survey results convey 9 9 Erik Nelson, Senior Preservation Planner, City of Fredericksburg, VA. Quoted in Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts (National Park Service). This publication available online at www.cr.nps.gov/workingonthepast. Accessed 2004. 1 0 0 "Overwhelming Majority of Monrovians Express Satisfaction With City" (www.d.m onrovia.ca.us). Accessed 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 42 the importance Monrovians place on these issues, which are strongly linked to preservation. Monrovia is one of the few historic cities in East Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire that continues to effectively integrate preservation efforts into its planning process.1 0 1 The Los Angeles Conservancy publishes a "preservation report card" that rates cities on their preservation practices. Monrovia received a B+, while many other adjacent cities received less favorable ratings. For example: Azusa (C), Duarte (D-), San Dimas (D-), San Gabriel (B-), San Marino (C-), and Sierra Madre (C).1 0 2 Monrovia's commitment to including preservation as a vital component to the planning process has strengthened the city's ability to capitalize on its historic assets. In addition to preserving architectural character, including historic preservation in planning activities is also important for economic health. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has identified the significant contributions of preservation to urban revitalization. These contributions are: 1. New businesses formed. 2. Private investment stimulated. 3. Tourism stimulated. 4. Increased property values. 1 0 1 Pasadena and South Pasadena received "A" grades. Source: "2003 Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Report Card," (Los Angeles: Los Angeles Conservancy, 2003) n.p. 102 "2003 Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Report Card" n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 43 5. Enhanced quality of life and the sense of neighborhood and community pride. 6. New jobs created. 7. Compatible land use patterns. 8. Increased property and sales taxes. 9. Pockets of deterioration and poverty diluted.1 0 3 Much of the business in the downtown historic core of Monrovia revolves around the historic character of the area. In addition to other economic benefits, Monrovia has the opportunity to further capitalize on its historic resources from a heritage tourism perspective. The weekly Family Festival on Myrtle Avenue and the Mothers' Day Historic Homes Tour are examples of this type of activity. Existing Legislation A city's preservation program is a product of the community's vision of itself, with the need to adapt to growth and change. Monrovia's identity is closely linked to its architectural heritage, and finding a balance between preservation and new development has become a priority. The city of Monrovia currently has ordinances and policies in place designed to acknowledge and protect its many historic resources, both residential and 1 0 3 Advisory Council list obtained from Donovan Rypkema, "The Economics of Preservation," Preservation Information: One in a series of Historic Preservation Information Booklets (Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1997) 19. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 44 commercial. These include a preservation ordinance to protect landmarked properties; restrictive zoning in the historic downtown commercial area; and monetary incentives for homeowners, such as Mills Act contracts and building permit fee relief.1 0 4 At the core of this body of legislation is the city's preservation ordinance. Historic Preservation Ordinance: "Every local government in California has the authority to adopt a local ordinance applying regulations to historic properties."1 0 5 Local historic preservation ordinances are designed to protect a city's historic resources from inappropriate alterations and unwarranted demolition. A historic resource is defined as any improvement, natural feature, or property that exhibits a special historical, cultural, aesthetic, or architectural character.1 0 6 Effective ordinances should be able to withstand legal challenge.1 0 7 The City of Monrovia's ordinance was adopted in the mid 1990s and thoroughly addresses the protection of landmarked properties. The Historic Preservation Ordinance of the City of Monrovia is chapter 17.40 of the Municipal Code and is designated "Ord. 94-03 § 6,1994".1 0 8 The 1 0 4 Historic Preservation Ordinance of the City of Monrovia (Ord. 94-03 § 6,1994). 1 0 5 "Local Preservation Ordinances," California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #14 (Sacramento: Office of Historic Preservation/Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d.) 1. 1 0 6 This definition is based on definitions contained in Monrovia's ordinance. 1 0 7 Norman Tyler, Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History. Principles, and Practice (New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000), 74. 1 0 8 Ordinance, "Title" (17.40.010). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 45 language of the ordinance with respect to landmarked properties specifies that "No alteration or demolition may be conducted at Historic Landmarks or Historic Districts, without first obtaining a Certificate of Appropriateness from the [Historic Preservation] Commission."1 0 9 This allows the Historic Preservation Commission to approve or deny proposed changes to a historic landmark. Landmarked properties receive a high level of review and consideration; it is imperative that "potential" landmarks are also given close attention. Potential historic resources, according to the chapter, refers to properties included in a historic resource survey completed in 1985 and properties that have been subsequently added to the survey by the commission;1 1 0 these properties are identified as having a very high possibility of landmark designation by the commission.1 1 1 A more inclusive interpretation of "potential" would refer to all properties that are eligible, according to the specified criteria, but that are not presently designated. The ordinance provides a measure of protection for "potential" historic resources. A review process is triggered for potential landmarks. However, actions specified for the review of potential resources only suggest alternative courses of action for the owner of the property. There are no 1 0 9 Ordinance, "Certificate of Appropriateness" (17.40.090). 1 1 0 The list of potential landmarks contains approximately 150 properties. Source: Resolution No. 95- 15. Ordinance, "Special Review-Advisory-Potential Historic Landmarks" (17.40.110). 1 1 1 Ordinance, "Definitions" (17.40.040). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 46 measures in place that require owners to comply with the suggestions of the Historic Preservation Commission. The Historic Preservation Commission should be afforded more decision-making power in order to effectively stop harmful alterations of potential resources. The language of the ordinance is uncomfortably vague in this section, allowing for multiple interpretations and potentially challenges. The code reads: In the course of review, the Commission shall assist and guide the property owner(s) of Potential Historic Landmarks and Potential Historic Districts with regard to proposed alterations on an advisory basis with the intention of finding solutions and directing the owner toward designation and / or appropriate changes that safeguard the resource.1 1 2 The effect of this section of the code is to require owners of potential landmarks to work with the commission for a specified period of time1 1 3 in the attempt to meet an equitable compromise. However, after this specified period of time, the owner has discretion to proceed with or without the aid of the commission. This measure delays alterations an d /o r demolitions and encourages compromise, but the owner is not legally bound to the commission's suggested alternatives. Protection of this class of resources is also limited because landm ark designation is voluntary. Although any individual can submit a nomination 1 1 2 Ordinance, "Potential Historic Landmarks" (17.40.110). 1 1 3 The commission has the authority to extend the review to explore solutions for making improvements for a period of time no longer than 30 days and to explore demolition alternatives for a period of time no longer than 60 days. Source: Ordinance, "Potential Historic Landmarks" (17.40.110). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 47 for a property, the ordinance requires written consent from the property owner before a landmark can be designated.1 1 4 The ordinance does responsibly provide enforcement and penalties for persons or owners who violate the provisions of the ordinance. If a person demolishes a historic landmark, the ordinance states that "no building or construction related permits or permits to use the property as a parking area shall be issued for a period of up to five (5) years at the City Council's discretion."1 1 5 Essentially, this denies an owner development rights for this sixty month period. The enforcement and penalties section of the chapter also specifies the consequences for owners, or other persons, who alter a landmark or violate the chapter in other capacities less damaging than demolition. In most cases, the Historic Preservation Commission handles the review process for historic landmarks. The strength of the commission is that it is made up of qualified individuals who are involved members of the community. Although it has been suggested that decisions made by the commission may be "based as much on the personal dynamics of commission members or political considerations as on objective, rational 1 1 4 Ordinance, "Designation Procedures" (17.40.070). 1 1 5 Ordinance, "Enforcement and Penalties" (17.40.150). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 48 standards,"1 1 6 the reality is that the commission follows specific criteria dictated by the city's ordinance. This evaluation of the existing Historic Preservation Ordinance of the City of Monrovia has identified some weaknesses; including the fact that properties cannot be designated as landmarks without owner consent, the nature of the review process for potential historic resources, and the limited authority of the Historic Preservation Commission. Local Historic Preservation Incentives The City of Monrovia strongly believes in the value of incentives as part of a comprehensive program to encourage historic preservation within the city. "In order to foster preservation of Monrovia's cultural heritage,"1 1 7 the City of Monrovia provides numerous incentives, both monetary and otherwise, for owners of historic resources. These incentives include, but are not limited to: Mills Act contracts, permit fee relief, Bed & Breakfast allowances, waivers of parking requirements, recognition of landmarks, and qualification for other financial benefits. 1 1 6 Tyler, Historic Preservation 74. 1 1 7 Ordinance, (17.40.140). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 49 Mills Act Contracts: "The Mills Act is the single most important economic incentive program available in California for use by private property owners of qualified historic buildings."1 1 8 Mills Act contracts are allowed pursuant to the State of California Government Code, Article 12, Sections 50280-50290. This state law provides the necessary framework for cities to enter into Mills Act contracts with the owners of designated historic resources. Mills Act contracts are also referred to as "historical property contracts." The purpose of these contracts is to allow a reduction in property taxes for owners of properties that are designated historic landmarks.1 1 9 In exchange for the financial benefit, the owner of the property consents to restore and/or maintain the property to a specific standard outlined by the contract.1 2 0 Mills Act contracts are a significant component of historic preservation in Monrovia. The majority of individually nominated properties within the city are also under Mills Act contracts. Currently, the number exceeds 60 contracts. us "Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program," California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #12 (Sacramento: Office of Historic Preservation/Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d.) 2. 1 1 9 Eligible properties include local historic landmarks and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Source: "Procedures for a Mills Act Contract" (City of Monrovia, Planning Division). 1 2 0 Historical Property Contract Application Guide (Los Angeles: Cultural Heritage Commission, n.d.). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 50 Fee Relief: Fee relief is another financial incentive that the City of Monrovia has implemented for owners of historic landmarks. The ordinance specifies that the building permit fee be lowered to (60) percent of the actual fee at the time the permit is issued.1 2 1 Use as Bed & Breakfasts: Bed and breakfast homes are permitted in Historic Landmarks and Contributors in Historic Districts with the use being located in a residential building of no minimum size and allowing for up to five bedrooms in a home to be used for rental.1 2 2 Parking: The city's ordinance does not require historic landmarks with sub-standard parking conditions to provide parking according to current standards. Recognition: The ordinance directs the Historic Preservation Commission to develop programs that recognize historic landmarks with "special plaques, signage, and other appropriate forms of recognition."1 2 3 1 2 1 Ordinance, (17.40.140). 1 2 2 Ordinance, (17.40.140). 1 2 3 Ordinance, (17.40.140). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 51 Financial Benefits: Owners of historic landmarks in the city are eligible to apply for various financial incentives available at the local, state, and federal levels.1 2 4 Figure 26. Lemon Avenue, just east of Myrtle Avenue. Source: Author, 2004. Downtown Monrovia - Historic Commercial Area Zoning: The historic core of downtown Monrovia's commercial area is bound by Foothill Boulevard on the north, Olive Avenue on the south, Primrose Avenue on the east, and Ivy on the west. Myrtle Avenue runs north-south in the center of the area specified as the historic core. Although the areas east 1 2 4 Ordinance, (17.40.140). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 52 and west of Myrtle Avenue are included in the boundaries, only those properties that face Myrtle are given close review.1 2 5 Myrtle and its adjacent streets consist of intact brick and wood storefronts, with the addition of m odem infill. The more recent additions and alterations have been designed in a manner compatible to the historic fabric of the downtown core. Monrovia's downtown has been compared to Santa Monica and Pasadena: "Monrovia doesn't have as many trendy stores as Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade or Pasadena's Old Town, but it has the squeaky-clean and intimate feel of a small town."1 2 6 This area has specific zoning restrictions intended to preserve the historic character of the downtown area. However, it is not designated as a historic district. Zoning restrictions specify that the Historic Preservation Commission approve all facade changes and that all new businesses go through the Development Review Committee.1 2 7 Downtown Monrovia - Redevelopment Project Area: Redevelopment is the process by which the city can initiate development to achieve desired development and rehabilitation goals with respect to 1 2 5 This information courtesy of Becky Romine, on staff at the Planning Department. (March 2004). 1 2 6 Duane Noriyuki, "The Alternatives; Road Trip; Feeling Quaint in the Foothills," Los Angeles Times 15 April 2004. Monrovia is often described as a small town. The city's population is approximately 35,000 people. 1 2 7 Becky Romine, March 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 53 residential, commercial, retail and industrial areas. Monrovia's Redevelopment Project Area includes much of the city below Foothill Boulevard. The area above Foothill Boulevard is primarily low-density residential, whereas the area below accommodates mixed-uses. The redevelopment area extends to the east and west of the historic downtown core and south past the 210 freeway, covering a large area. Historic preservation and economic redevelopment interests intersect in many areas of Monrovia. While industrial areas in lower Monrovia may not contain a high concentration of historic resources, other sections of the redevelopment area contain historic resources of a residential and commercial nature. Historic preservation objectives for the City of Monrovia may differ from those of the Redevelopment Agency, but efforts have been made in the past to reconcile these objectives. The most prominent example of the overlap of theses two agendas is in the creation of what is now called "Old Town" Monrovia, essentially the historic core of the commercial downtown with Myrtle Avenue as its centerpiece. The redevelopment of this area was largely realized by the year 20001 2 8 with 1 2 8 There are still redevelopment activities directed in this area, but the major redevelopment has been completed. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 54 the addition of a 50,000 square-foot movie theater on Myrtle Avenue, set amongst the small historic storefronts. Despite controversy regarding the size of the theater,1 2 9 the project moved forward. To minimize the impact on the street7 s historic fabric, the theater was constructed with the bulk of the building hidden behind existing storefronts and occupying what was a municipally owned parking lot. Other improvements to the area included new sidewalks, signage, lighting, and street furniture.1 3 0 Plans for the Future: Incorporating Preservation into the Planning Process Increasing property values of single family homes1 3 1 in the City of Monrovia and surrounding areas has heightened development pressure. Recently, city leaders have evinced concerns about the level of protection provided by the current preservation ordinance. While many properties are individually landmarked, there are currently no historic districts. Protection for potential landmarks or possible contributors to districts is not adequate. 1 2 9 There were also concerns as to whether or not adequate parking existed to support the theater. Source: "Best of Times: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Redevelopment in Monrovia 1973-2003" (City of Monrovia, 2003). i3° "Best 0f Times" n.p. 1 3 1 Median home prices have increased across the board in Los Angeles County. Monrovia's median home price in 2003 was $358,000. This can be compared to the median prices for 1995: $175,000; 2000: $228,500; 2002: $305,000. Source: DataQuick Information Services. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 55 Interim Measures: The city has recently enacted a fairly strong protective measure. A moratorium has been placed on all demolitions of pre-1940 structures until September of 2004. This measure is designed to allow the city to re-evaluate current preservation policies and develop additional protections. The proposed moratorium, as specified by the City Council Agenda Report, was designed .... as a way to preserve the status quo for a brief period while the City studies ways to accomplish its neighborhood character goals...The purpose of a moratorium is to ensure that development projects that would be inconsistent with the actions and programs the City is considering do not occur before the City is able to complete its planning process. As developers and others become aware that the City is contemplating different ways of preserving a certain neighborhood character created by the style and appearance of older structures, they may decide to demolish structures in the interim to avoid being subject to the new rules. Although the city is not considering absolutely prohibiting such demolitions in the future, some property owners might decide not to take the risk of being subject to more restrictive development standards in the future. A moratorium would prevent demolitions in the interim.1 3 2 Survey: A historic resources survey forms the basis for preservation planning activities within the city by identifying the existing historic resources. The survey records information about buildings such as age and style. The survey identifies the characteristics and distinctive qualities that help 1 3 2 Excerpt from City Council Agenda Report prepared by City Attorney Craig A. Steele, 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 56 determine district boundaries. The National Park Service discusses the reasoning behind surveys. To make effective use of historic resources, to respect their value and extend their lives, it is necessary to integrate historic preservation into community planning. This is the immediate reason for undertaking a local historic resources survey: t o g a t h e r t h e i n f o r m a t i o n n e e d e d t o p l a n f o r t h e w i s e u s e o f a c o m m u n i t y 's r e s o u r c e s . 133 The survey also acts as an important tool in evaluating new construction. A survey "forms the basis for the preservation plan and the design guidelines under which rehabilitation and new construction are reviewed."1 3 4 The city is currently awaiting the completion of an updated and comprehensive historic resources survey that will identify individually significant buildings, but also areas that have high concentrations of historic resources and that have the potential to become local historic districts. The need for an updated survey is heightened by the fact that certain review processes, specified by the ordinance, are often only triggered if a property is listed on the survey. 1 3 3 "Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning," National Register Bulletin (Washington, DC: National Park Service, n.d.) n.p. 1 3 4 Ellen Beasley, "Reviewing N ew Construction Projects in Historic Areas," Information Series No. 62 (Washington DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1992) 5. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 57 Options: The City of Monrovia is currently weighing two options to provide more substantial protection for the city's historic resources. The solution to the issue may involve a combination of several approaches, including (1) Designation of local historic districts, to restrict alterations and development in areas that contain high concentrations of historic resources. (2) Enacting citywide design standards that apply to older structures based on their architectural style. For example: design guidelines could be set for Craftsman style houses that prohibited enclosing front porches. The 300 block of Wildrose Avenue: The city is in the process of trying to designate the city's first historic district. The area would include the 300-block of Wildrose Ave. in the eastern area of Monrovia. Unfortunately, homes on the south side of Foothill Boulevard, which should be part of the district, have been excluded from the nomination. (See Fig. 27) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 58 Z e 5 U tri Figure 27. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1927) showing 300 Block of Wildrose Avenue and south side of Foothill Blvd. Source: Los Angeles Public Library. The Tifal Brothers, prominent Southern California architects, designed many of the Craftsman style homes in this block.1 3 5 The homes display distinctive Craftsman style characteristics including large porches with deep overhangs, wood shingle exteriors, and low-pitched gable roofs with overhangs and exposed eaves. (See Fig. 28) This particular block also contains many previously designated individual landmarks. 1 3 5 Monrovia City Directory 1913-14. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 59 Figure 28. Houses along Wildrose Avenue. Source: Monrovia's Heritage: An Architectural Perspective. The City of Monrovia is actively involved in preservation planning and continued focus in this area will only serve to improve the city. Monrovia is a growing city and the Community Development Department strives to maintain an environment that encourages responsible development. While the city moves forward with planning activities, it is important to recognize that attention to historic preservation issues is not anti-growth, but rather it is the concept of recognizing community assets, like architectural character, and evaluating new development on its ability to be compatible with existing assets. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 60 Chapter 3: Should Monrovia Designate Historic Districts? "Local historic districts are one of the oldest and strongest forms of protection for historic properties."1 3 6 The designation of historic districts is an effective tool the city can utilize to further protect the community's historic resources. What is a Historic District? A historic district is a specifically defined area that "possesses a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical development."1 3 7 The National Register emphasizes the evaluation of a proposed district as a sum of its parts: A district derives its importance from being a unified entity, even though it is often composed of a wide variety of resources. The identity of a district results from the interrelationship of its resources, which can convey a visual sense of the overall historic environment.1 3 8 A district is considered significant if its collective resources are important for historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural values.1 3 9 It is important to recognize that "such places need not be magnificent to be 1 3 6 Working on the Past in Local Historic Districts n.p. 1 3 7 Patrick W. Andrus, National Register Bulletin 15: H ow to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park Service, 1990) 5. 1 3 8 Andrus, National Register 5. 1 3 9 Andrus, National Register 5. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 61 memorable."1 4 0 A district can include elements that contribute to the district's significance and elements that do not contribute. Those elements that do not contribute to the district are called non-contributors. Contributing buildings are those that are significant within the defined period of significance for the district and that retain integrity. Noncontributing buildings are typically those that have been significantly altered or that were constructed after the period of significance. Criteria for Historic Districts The elements of a strong district include a distinct identity, historic or architectural significance, integrity, and identifiable boundaries. A district is often composed of a wide variety of resources and the identity of the district is a function of the relationship between these resources. In addition to historical or architectural significance, several criteria determine whether an area is eligible to be designated a historic district, all of which are subsumed within an umbrella category called "integrity." Integrity is the unimpaired ability of the historic resource(s) to convey its significance. There are seven aspects of integrity: Location, Design, Setting, 1 4 0 David Lowenthal, The Past is A Foreign Country (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985) 42. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 62 Materials, Workmanship, Feeling, and Association. The definitions of these aspects, with regard to districts, are as follows: L o c a t i o n - Areas with linkages of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and spaces, a majority of which continue to exist where they were first created in traditionally accepted relationships. D e s i g n - Areas that convey a sense of cohesiveness through the similarity or dissimilarity of their detail relatedness (architectural or otherwise). Based on the abstracts of aesthetic quality, these include scale, height, proportion, materials, colors, textures, rhythm, silhouette, and siting. S e t t i n g - Area that are readily definable by natural or created boundaries or contain at least one major focal point. M a t e r i a l s - Areas that convey a sense of cohesiveness through similarity or dissimilarity of their material relatedness, based on traditional material use that contributes to a sense of locality. W o r k m a n s h i p - Areas that convey a sense of homogeneity through the high quality of aesthetic effort of the periods represented by the majority of the units composing the district. F e e l i n g - Areas that create a sense of time and place. A s s o c i a t i o n - Areas that are related - on national, state, or local levels - to the lives of individuals or events or have visual aesthetic qualities that convey a feeling of time and place.1 4 1 The concepts of feeling and association help create a district's identity, but these"intangible" aspects of integrity are often difficult to codify. Historian David Lowenthal believes that all of the elements of a place come together to create an "awareness of history [that] likewise enhances communal and national identity.. /a collectivity has its roots in the past.'"1 4 2 Planner Kevin Lynch discusses intangible qualities as "the sensuous form of a place: the way a locality looks and smells and sounds."1 4 3 While feeling and association 1 4 1 William J. Murtagh, Historic Districts: Identification. Social Aspects and Preservation (1975) as quoted in Pratt Cassity, Maintaining Community Character: How to Establish a Local Historic District (National Trust for Historic Preservation, n.d.) 23. 1 4 2 Lowenthal, The Past 44. 1 4 3 Kevin Lynch, Site Planning (1962; Cambridge: The M.I.T. Press, 1971) 18. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 63 are part of a district's identity, the tangible aspects of integrity are what provide the backbone of a district's integrity. "A district m ust be a definable geographic area that can be distinguished from surrounding properties."1 4 4 The elements that create this distinction can include changes in density, type of building, style, scale, physical boundaries, and/or predetermined boundaries such as historic boundaries of subdivisions.1 4 5 There are two district designation procedures, National Register and local. National Register districts are those that are designated on the National Register of Historic Places. "Listing in the National Register honors a historic place by recognizing its importance to its community, State or the Nation."1 4 6 Local historic districts are those created and maintained through a municipality or other governmental authority. An additional type of district, called a conservation district, has recently been utilized by some cities as an extension of the traditional local district program. National Register districts are designated based on adherence to criteria established by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The designation is under 1 4 4 Andrus, National Register 6. 1 4 5 Andrus, National Register 6. H 6 "What are the Results of Listing in the National Register," (Washington, DC: National Park Service, n.d.) n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 64 federal jurisdiction and does not trigger any restrictions on property owners. However, in California, listing in the National Register does trigger environmental review in instances where projects have other discretionary actions associated with them.1 4 7 One benefit of listing on the National Register is that the contributing properties are entitled to apply for financial assistance from certain federal programs.1 4 8 Commercial buildings with this designation are also eligible for a 20% tax rehabilitation credit. Local districts can offer stronger protection for resources within a district and may be tailored to meet the needs of the specific area. The criteria used to evaluate proposed districts at a local level is usually based on National Register criteria, but can be further developed by the city. Local districts can also include "cemeteries, religious institutions, moved buildings, and properties less than 50 years old, which ordinarily are not considered National Register-eligible."1 4 9 Significant aspects of a local district are that it is: 1. Tailored to meet specific community needs 2. Provides greater protection for resources 1 4 7 The Los Angeles Conservancy provides examples in order to clarify what is meant by "discretionary action." "For example, if someone applies for a demolition permit, and the local laws allow the permit to be issued automatically, there is no discretion so CEQA review is not triggered. However, if the building is designated and the designation requires the local government to review demolition applications for historic buildings, the project is discretionary and CEQA is triggered." Source: "How to Save Historic Buildings," (Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Conservancy, n.d.) n.p. 1 4 8 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 7. 1 4 9 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 7. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 65 3. Local governing body can protect the district7 s character through Design Review Other Protections: In addition to local historic district designation, other preservation measures have been utilized in recent years to protect an area's character. Conservations districts, environmental protections, and interim protections are part of components of local programs that have been used by various communities. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) protects historic resources through the process of environmental review. Conservation districts are very similar to traditional local districts. However, they allow for more flexible criteria in the evaluation of possible contributors to the district and how proposed changes to the district are handled. Conservation districts have these goals: 1. To maintain the buildings and overall character of an area that may not fully meet local district criteria, but are deemed worthy of protection 2. To allow more design flexibility than a local district with respect to alterations 3. To reduce the applications that go through the local historic commission by delegating some discretionary approval to staff 4. To retain a source of affordable housing1 5 0 1 5 0 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 12-13. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 66 The City of Monrovia has utilized environmental and landscape protections to preserve the mountainous area north of the city. A Hillside Wilderness Preserve was established to ban development of approximately 11,000 acres of hillside.1 5 1 The San Gabriel Mountains that create the Foothills north of the valley communities are a defining feature of the landscape and contribute to the community's sense of place. The protection of this open space has set a precedent for responsible developmental controls within the city. Another preservation tool utilized by the city is interim protection for possible historic resources through a moratorium on demolition of pre-1940 structures. Short-term controls such as this minimize the loss of historic resources during the city's transition to more stringent protections for resources. The next logical step from enacting a moratorium is to develop a plan for protection of resources; it is highly likely that this plan will include some kind of district designation. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in a broad sense, is used by the state of California to evaluate the impact of proposed projects on the environment. Historic resources are considered elements of the environment that are in need of consideration. Resources that are listed in, or are determined eligible for listing in, the California Register m ust be given 1 5 1 Geoff Kelly, "Neighborly Advice; Monrovia is Rooted in Nature and in Family," Los Angeles Times 22 June 2003. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 67 consideration in the CEQA process. Properties that are listed in the National Register are automatically listed in the California Register.1 5 2 All projects undertaken by a public agency are subject to CEQA. This includes projects undertaken by any state or local agency, any special district (e.g., a school district), and any public college or university. CEQA applies to discretionary projects undertaken by private parties. A discretionary project is one that requires the exercise of judgment or deliberation by a public agency in determining whether the project will be approved, or if a permit will be issued. Some common discretionary decisions include placing conditions on the issuance of a permit, delaying demolition to explore alternatives, or reviewing the design of a proposed project.1 5 3 Strategies for Establishing a Local District Districts can range in size from small areas containing a handful of resources to large areas containing hundreds of properties. A historic resources survey that identifies the city's historic resources and potentially significant properties is the first step in establishing local historic districts. The results of the survey can reveal areas that contain large concentrations of resources and therefore, possible candidates for district designation. Monrovia contains large areas that have concentrations of older homes that were all built within a few years of each other, sometimes as part of the same subdivision and therefore lend themselves to larger district areas. The city 1 5 2 "California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Historical Resources," California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #1 (Sacramento: Office of Historic Preservation/Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d.) 1-3. 1 5 3 California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #1 3. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 68 also contains small distinct areas that represent an opportunity to designate districts with a smaller amount of resources. A large district can be a challenge to designate due to the number of property owners that must be brought into the process and agree to the designation. Management and review on a large number of resources is also challenging. However, delegating some approval authority to city staff members can streamline management procedures. Monrovia has instituted this system for the review of properties listed as "potential landmarks." Certain alterations and changes to these buildings, such as roof replacement, do not require the commission's review. The city has already begun to move forward with the designation of a small district. This district would contain a majority of the properties located on the 300-block of Wildrose Avenue.1 5 4 A significant portion of the block contains historic homes that have already been individually designated as local historic landmarks and many have Mills Act Contracts with the city. Designation of a district of this type offers the benefit of informed ownership acceptance of historic preservation standards and previous designation of some of the included resources. 1 5 4 "Action Minutes: Regular Meeting of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Commission" (City of Monrovia, 24 March 2004). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 69 Maple Avenue and King Street: Potential District? Figure 29. 517 King Street. Source: Author, 2004. Figure 30. 611 Maple Avenue. Source: Author, 2004. In the western portion of the city, in close proximity to the 210 freeway, is a small area that is sandwiched between a commercial area, a wide street that was formerly a railroad right-of-way, and some medium density residential buildings. The way this area is positioned creates the effect of a small pocket of historic value that is somewhat hidden by its surroundings. The area in question contains two east-west streets, Maple and King, bisected by a short north-south street called Hwy Esplanade. Maple and King are both dead end streets. In addition to older homes, the streets also contain mature trees and historic light posts that line Maple and King. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 70 Figure 31. Zoning Map of Maple Avenue and King Street. Source: Monrovia Planning Department. Map revised in 1993. This small area of the city was evaluated in this thesis for possible designation. An updated survey of the city is currently being finished and will include the area in question. The following evaluation was done from a preliminary survey of the area's resources and a review of available information. The development of the area surrounding the neighborhood has included many major additions in close proximity that could have destroyed it all together, but instead have preserved this residential grouping and created a special niche. Some of the major changes that have affected this neighborhood are the intrusion of the 210 freeway and the redevelopment of PD-4RM3500 PD-4RM3S00 PO-4RM3500 PD-4 RM 3500 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 71 Huntington Drive, just southwest of the area, as a commercial center. Maple Avenue and King Street are bounded on the north by Chestnut Avenue.1 5 5 The neighborhood began as a collection of single-family homes on the western edge of residential development in Monrovia in the early twentieth century. A review of Sanborn fire insurance maps from the early part of the twentieth century revealed that the area of Maple Avenue and King Street was platted sometime between 1907 and 1913. Residential construction of the blocks shows up in the 1927 map of the area, indicating that the area was first developed sometime between 1913 and 1927. Maple Avenue and King Street are bound on the north by Chestnut Avenue, which was occupied by tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad.1 5 6 Maple Avenue and King Street quite possibly has the concentration of historic resources necessary to be designated a historic district. Approximately 53 out of 82 properties surveyed are possible contributors to the district because of their architectural value and integrity. Possible contributors were roughly defined as those structures that appeared to have been built before 1940 and whose exterior form had a medium-high degree. The period of significance for the proposed district could be estimated to be 1 5 5 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Los Angeles Public Library, 1907,1913,1927). 1 5 6 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 72 around 1913 through 1939. Further study is required to determine if this is the appropriate period of time. The Maple Avenue and King Street area contains a large concentration of Craftsman and Spanish style homes built in the early-mid 20th century that convey the architectural styles and type of development occurring during that period, reinforcing that time period as a significant time in the history of the neighborhood. In addition to its architectural resources, the neighborhood also contains mature trees and light posts that were probably installed during the early years of development and that contribute to the neighborhood's identity and distinguish it from its surroundings. Figure 32. Redwood Tree on King Street. Source: Author, 2004. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 73 The Maple Avenue and King Street area is an interesting case to examine because it raises the issue of zoning compatibility. It is important that zoning regulations and preservation goals work together so that they form a cohesive vision for the area in question. Although the area primarily consists of single-family homes, the area is currently zoned medium-density residential and planned development.1 5 7 This zoning allows for multiple units to be built on a single lot; the amount of units allowed is dependent on the lot-size. The lots in this area are not wide, but they are deep. Infill housing that appears to have started in the 1940s is often in the form of two single story units, built at the same time, one in front of the other. The designation of historic districts does not automatically mean that increased density cannot be accommodated. With regard to Maple Avenue and King Street, the area is zoned for a greater density than what currently exists. It is possible that the contributing resources within the district could be preserved while allowing higher usage of the land. Houses on deep lots that do not have rear units could accommodate an additional unit, provided that the unit was designed to be compatible with the surrounding houses and did not provide a distraction from the street. 1 5 7 Zoning Map: City of Monrovia, California (City of Monrovia, Revised 1993). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 74 Contributing resources should not be "moved around" to accommodate new development. Although this may be an attractive solution from a developer's viewpoint, it is not an acceptable mitigation to move historic resources from their original siting and relocate them to a more convenient location. A resource's placement on its lot and within the surrounding context is essential to retaining its integrity. "The actual location of a historic property, complimented by its setting, is particularly important in recapturing the sense of historic events and persons."1 5 8 Moving a resource from its original location may jeopardize its listing on the National Register. In the 1990s the Maple-King neighborhood began to be encroached upon by commercial development. A Home Depot/Expo Design Center was built directly east of the streets and a CompUSA and Office Depot development was planned for the area adjacent to the Maple-King neighborhood on the west side. News of the new development was not well-received by the neighborhood. The fear was that, "with their homes directly between two popular consumer destination points, both Maple and King would become short-cut through-fares as cars moved between retail giants, avoiding the traffic and stop lights on Huntington Drive."1 5 9 The city recognized the concerns of the neighborhood and the condition was mitigated through the creation of cul-de-sacs at the east and west ends of Maple Avenue and King 1 5 8 Andrus, National Register 44. 159 f5esj - o f Times" n.p. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 75 Street; traffic could then flow into the neighborhood through the north-south Hwy Esplanade. In addition to the Maple and King potential district, another area that could possibly form a district is the Colby Plot discussed in chapter 1. The city's updated survey should provide evidence as to how much of this subdivision has survived. It is an attractive idea that the remains of modest working class housing could be preserved. The Process of Designating Local Historic Districts A historic resources survey and analysis of possible district areas is the first step toward local district designation. After district areas have been identified, an important step in implementing a local district plan is to move forward with a "broad-based community education campaign"1 6 0 which identifies the benefits of designation. One of the best ways to build community support is to educate property owners on the benefits of districts. The benefits of local districts, as discussed by Cassity, are: 1. Districts protect the investments of owners and residents of historic properties by curtailing insensitive development that undermines neighborhood character 1 6 0 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 18-19. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 76 2. Districts encourage high quality design that often has greater public appeal 3. Districts are environmentally friendly because they encourage the re use of existing resources instead of new construction 4. Districts offer educational opportunities, such as teaching about the area's history 5. Districts can positively impact dollars coming into a city through heritage tourism 6. Districts can enhance business recruitment potential 7. Districts can provide a better quality of life through social and psychological benefits - "The comfort found in human-scale environments, the desire to live and work in attractive surroundings, the emotional stability gained by maintaining a recognizable and walkable neighborhood...are all direct results of most local historic district ventures."1 6 1 Another important benefit of historic district designation is the increase in property values. Many studies have been performed that demonstrate the increase in property values that many districts have experienced. One study found that homes located in historic districts "increased in price at a rate almost 25 percent faster than did homes in the community at large."1 6 2 A community education campaign should address perceived obstacles that exist in designating districts. Some of these obstacles have been identified as: 1. Perceived invasion of property rights 2. Fear of additional expenditures 3. Fear of displacement and gentrification 4. Fear of the unknown 5. Apathy 6. Development pressure/loss of market value 7. Dislike of "bloated bureaucracies" 8. Lack of awareness of the significance of historic resources1 6 3 1 6 1 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 3-5. 1 6 2 Tom Shaw, "Studying the Dollar Value of History," Forum N ew s (n.p.: n.p., 1996) n.p. 1 6 3 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 18-19. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 77 Education is the main key to overcoming obstacles in historic district designation. Community support can be gained through public awareness. A task force of community members can be formed to spearhead the educational campaign. Some educational tools that have been used by communities include: workshops, fact sheets or flyers, press releases, contests, tours, banners and posters, and presentations. The key element of effective communication with the community is that educational materials must be clear and easy to understand. The materials m ust also be accessible. In communities where there are a large number of Spanish-speaking individuals, materials should be distributed in both English and Spanish. Monrovia has the benefit of organizations like the Monrovia Old House Preservation Group (MOHPG) and the Monrovia Historical Society that contribute to public awareness of historic preservation. Another proponent of public awareness are real estate professionals that incorporate historic preservation into their marketing materials. Donna Baker, a real estate agent and member of MOHPG, distributes educational newsletters that often showcase the benefits of owning historic homes. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 78 The Next Steps: Education, Designation, CLG Status The City of Monrovia has expressed willingness to further integrate preservation goals into the city's planning activities. The next step in the protection of Monrovia's historic neighborhoods is to move forward with a broad-based education campaign and to start designating local historic districts an d /o r conservation districts. The city should also explore the possibility of becoming a Certified Local Government (CLG) to aid in preservation activities. The Certified Local Government Program is a mechanism that formally involves local governments in the national preservation effort. Through cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the National Park Service (NPS), Certified Local Governments are eligible for benefits that are solely reserved for CLGs. These benefits include: the option to compete for a portion of state money that is allocated to historic preservation annually, participation in the nomination of National Register properties from their jurisdiction, and opportunities for training and assistance provided by the SHPO and NPS.1 6 4 1 6 4 Cassity, Maintaining Community Character 23. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 79 Monrovia is in an excellent position to provide increasing protection for the community's historic resources through the designation of local historic districts and the continuation of preservation programs already in place. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 80 Bibliography Andrus, Patrick W. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington DC: National Park Service, 1990. Baker, John Milnes. American House Styles: A Concise Guide. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994. Barkas, Pam. The Lost Gems of Monrovia. Monrovia: Monrovia Old House Preservation Group, c.2002. Baur, John E. The Health Seekers of Southern California, 1870-1900. San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1959. Beasley, Ellen. Design and Development: Infill Housing Compatible with Historic Neighborhoods. 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The Boom of the Eighties in Southern California. San Marino: Huntington Library, 1966. Fine, Adrian Scott and Jim Lindberg. Protecting America's Historic Neighborhoods: Taming the Teardown Trend. Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, n.d. Gebhard, David, and Harriette Von Breton. Architecture in California: 1868- 1968. Santa Barbara: The Regents, University of California, 1968. —. The Elusive Image: Regionalism in Twentieth Century Architecture. New Zealand: School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 1993. —, Hariette Von Breton, and Robert W. Winter. Samuel and Toseph Cather Newsom: Victorian Architecture; Imagery in California 1878-1908. Santa Barbara: UCSB Art Museum, cl979. . Robert Stacv-Tudd: Maya Architecture The Creation of a New Style. Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1993. Gelernter, Mark. A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context. Hanover and London: University Press of New England, 1999. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 82 Goff, Lee. Tudor Style: Tudor Revival in America from 1890 to the Present. Paul Rocheleau. Photography. New York: Universe Publishing, 2002. Grey, Elmer. Southern California Architecture and an Article on the Southern California Home. Los Angeles: Elmer Grey, 1925. "Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning." National Register Bulletin Washington, DC: National Park Service, n.d. Harris, Cyril M., Ed. Historic Architecture Sourcebook. 1977. Rpt. as Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1983. Historic Preservation Ordinance of the City of Monrovia - Ordinance 94-03. Monrovia: City of Monrovia, 1994. Historical Property Contract Application Guide. Los Angeles: Cultural Heritage Commission, n.d. Hotchkiss, T.M., comp. Selected Excerpts from the Monrovia Planet and the Monrovia Messenger 1886-1891. 2 vols. Monrovia: n.p., 1979. "How to Save Historic Buildings." Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Conservancy, n.d. Hunter, Paul Robinson, Ed. Residential Architecture in Southern California. Los Angeles: Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 1939. James, G. Wharton. Scenes on the Line of the Pasadena Mountain Railway and From Orange Groves to Snow. Pasadena: Pasadena Mountain Railway Company, n.d. Kaplan, Wendy. Encyclopedia of Arts and Crafts: The International Arts Movement 1850-1920. London: Quarto Publishing pic, 1989. Kelly, Geoff. "Neighborly Advice; Monrovia is Rooted in Nature and in Family." Los Angeles Times 22 June 2003. Kennedy, Roger G. Mission: The History and Architecture of the Missions of North America. David Larkin, ed. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 83 Kirker, Harold. Old Forms on a New Land: California Architecture in Perspective. Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1991. Kurutz, KD and Gary F. Kurutz. California Calls You: The Art of Promoting the Golden State 1870 to 1940. Sausalito: Windgate Press, 2000. Leach, Neil Ed. The Hieroglyphics of Space: Reading and Experiencing the Modern Metropolis. London and New York: Routledge, 2002. "Local Preservation Ordinances." California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #14. Sacramento: Office of Historic Preservation/Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d. "2003 Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Report Card." Los Angeles: Los Angeles Conservancy, 2003. Lowenthal, David. The Past is a Foreign Country. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Lynch, Kevin. Site Planning. 1962. 2n d ed., Cambridge and London: The M.I.T. Press, 1971. "Mabel Normand, Film Star, Dead." New York Times 24 Feb. 1930. Mallach, Stanley and Pegi Taylor. "TB: The Return of a Dreaded Foe." Milwaukee journal 25 Oct. 1992. McCawley, William. The First Angelinos: The Gabrielino Indians of Los Angeles. Banning: Malki Museum Press/Ballena Press, 1996. Massey, James C. ad Shirley Maxwell. House Styles in America: The Old- House Journal Guide to the Architecture of American Homes. New York: Penguin Studios, 1999. McAlester, Virginia and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. 1984. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. McGroarty, John Steven, Ed. History of Los Angeles County: Illustrated. Vol. 1. Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1923. McWilliams, Carey. Southern California: An Island on the Land. 1946. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 1973. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 84 "Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program." California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series #12 Sacramento: Office of Historic Preservation/Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d. Monrovia City Directory 1913-1914. Monrovia: n.p., 1913-1914. Monrovia Historical Society. Monrovia's Heritage: A Survey of Early Homes in the City of Monrovia. California. Monrovia: Monrovia Historical Society, 1980. Monrovia Masonic Lodge. Monrovia Masonic Lodge 308 F & AM: July 6, Tune, 1996. N.p.: n.p., 2000. Newcomb, Rexford. The Franciscan Mission Architecture of Alta California. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Co., 1916. — . Spanish-Colonial Architecture in the United States. New York: J.J. Augustin Publisher, 1937. Noriyuki, Duane. "The Alternatives; Road Trip; Feeling Quaint in the Foothills." Los Angeles Times 15 April 2004. Ostrye, Peter C. Monrovia Centennial Review, 1886-1986. Monrovia: Monrovia Centennial Committee, 1986, cl985. "Overwhelming Majority of Monrovians Express Satisfaction With City." Monrovia: City of Monrovia, n.d. [Pacific Electric Railway Advertisement]. Monrovia Daily News 17 March 1925. Pomeroy, Elizabeth. Lost and Found: Historic and Natural Landmarks of the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena: Many Moons Press, 2000. Pottenger, Francis M. The Fight Against Tuberculosis: An Autobiography. New York: Henry Schuman, 1952. "Public Library." Monrovia News 1 Feb. 1908. Rawls, James J. and Walton Bean. California: An Interpretive History. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2003. Robinson, W.W. Monrovia, A Calendar of Events in the Making of a City. Los Angeles: Title Guarantee and Trust Co., cl936. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 85 Rypkema, Donovan. "The Economics of Preservation." Preservation Information: One in a series of Historic Preservation Information Booklets Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1997. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from 1907,1913, and 1927. Note: available at Los Angeles Public Library - Databases. Schamadan, Charlotte A., ed. Monrovia's Heritage: An Architectural Perspective. 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Asset Metadata

Creator Wexler, Vanessa (author)

Core Title Planning for preservation: Exploring the designation of historic districts in Monrovia, California

Degree Master of Historic Preservation

Degree Program Historic Preservation

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Architecture,history, United States,OAI-PMH Harvest,Urban and Regional Planning

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c16-318285

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